The Fire Next Time
The Fire Next Time consists of two essays by Baldwin, the first being fairly short and the second being much longer. I felt like his first essay to his nephew was easier to understand. The second essay was much longer and feels like Baldwin is writing a lengthy journal entry as a thought experiment.
Failing Up
This book was an absolute breeze to read. It's really short and sweet, and if you are a big fan of Hamilton (which I assume most readers are), Leslie Odom Jr. will dedicate 2 chapters to recounting his Hamilton experience.
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is a really sweet (and surprisingly funny) book about a semi-well-adjusted middle-aged mom who goes on a short adventure of self-discovery. While the main character, Amy, is often times filled with self-doubt and haunted by a troubled past, she is surrounded by people who all love her to pieces and would do anything for her.
The Gifted School
I didn't expect to like this book so much, but something about this story and its characters really resonated with me. The Gifted School is a book that deals with the modern day anxieties of parents wanting their kids to go to the best schools and be recognized for their high IQs and "genius."
Everything I Never Told You
Everything I Never Told You is a book by Celeste Ng, who also wrote the bestselling book, Little Fires Everywhere. I liked the characters in Everything I Never Told You, and thought that the book was engaging.
Queenie
Queenie is a young adult fiction novel by Candice Carty-Williams that mostly felt like a lot of words and no deep meaning. It tells a story of a young woman in her mid-20s in modern-day UK, and it is about her dealing with millennial traumas - a bad break-up, terrible online dating, etc.
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan is a book written by Jake Adelstein, in which he recounts his experiences as an investigative journalist in one of the biggest newspaper companies in Japan, the Yomiuri Shinbun. I really liked the exposition of this book and getting a first-hand look into Adelstein’s experiences as a rookie reporter.